From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an unexpected love story of family, secrets, and the most intimate of deceptions.My estranged twin brother, Julian, was always the wonder boy—and was groomed to become CEO of our ruthless father’s corporation. My mother and me? Left behind. Now, years after tearing our family apart, my father dares to ask me for a favor? Pretend to be Julian … favor? Pretend to be Julian while he fights to survive a tragic accident. It can save the company. Nobody will be the wiser. It’ll be our secret.
I can play Dad’s favorite. I’ll do it for Julian. And for my mother, who’ll want for nothing.
But this double life comes with a beauty of a hitch: my very real feelings for Julian’s fiancée, Isobel. Not only am I betraying Julian, I’m deceiving a woman I love. She doesn’t suspect a thing. As lies compound, lines are crossed and loyalties tested, all I can ask myself is…What have I done?
Because sooner or later something’s got to give. There’s no way I’m giving up Isobel. But once the truth is exposed, it might not be my choice at all.
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I think this book is RVD’s best book to date. I absolutely could not put the book down. It was filled with so much angsty goodness and I immediately fell for Bridge. I understood his need to do the things he did (I know vague much? But I can’t give any spoilers away!)
Just know that you will be sucked into the story from the first chapter and if you’re like me, you won’t be able to put the book down once you start. Each book with Rachel gets better and better and I think Stealing Her takes her fans back to her voice in a few of her earlier works.
Read this book and series!!
Stealing Her by Rachel Van Dyken is book One in the Covet Series. This is the story of Isobel and Bridge. Bridge and his twin brother Julian where once close but separated by their parents divorce. Julian went on to be with their father who wasn’t a good man at all. Bridge ended up staying with their mother who isn’t in good health. This started Bridge on the path to laying the blame with his brother and father with the wish to get back at them. But then in their present day Bridge’s father comes to him with a offer that he can’t walk away from that will help him with his mother. Julian is fighting for his life and his father doesn’t want it to get out so he is asking Bridge to pretend to be Julian to ensure that the investors and stock do not take a hit that could cost them millions of dollars. Bridge starts to see that his brother didn’t have the perfect life but he does have the perfect
fiancée in Isobel. Isobel was taken into Julian’s home and once she had very strong feelings for Julian. But Julian changed so much along with her confidence that seem to be taken away from her being in the engagement. Bridge starts to question if he can pretend to be with Isobel when he truly wants her and wants her for his own.
Enjoyed their story.
I was a little torn when I first started this book I’m not really happy about cheating with my main characters. The circumstances of this book won me over. I loved the dynamic between Izzy, Juliane and Bridge. Bridge always the protector is asked to an almost impossible task. He felt that he had let his brother down in the past and that he didnt want to let him down again. This book had me on the edge of my seat waititng to see how everything was going to play out. I plan on reading this book again and will definitely be recomending this book to friends and family.
This book was so well written, the story line was WOW! 5 stars for this one! You don’t want to miss out on it!
Meet twins Bridge & Julian, one strong, the other the protector! When their parents divorce, one gets a luxury filled life, while the other is left to struggle to make ends meet with his mom.
Their father did this to them, he’s a ruthless man. But when he needs Bridge’s help, will he step in and help the father that didn’t choose him and left him to care for his sick mother?
I don’t want to give too much away, I think it’s best you read this and experience it at that time! You won’t be disappointed!
I enjoyed this book so much, and I can’t wait for the next story! Grab this one asap!
Five Reasons to add Stealing Her to your must read list. One, it’s by Rachel Van Dyken. Two, the men are devilishly alpha and sinfully sexy. THAT YOU CANNOT RESIST. Three, the heroine is a sassy, sweet, admirable and compassionate woman who will steal your heart. Four, an intricate and mindblowing story line with jaw dropping twists and angsty chemistry. Five, see number one.
I wish I could live in Rachel Van Dyken ‘ s brain because it is such fascinating place to be! I have no freaking idea how she spins the most incredible and unique story every single time. Stealing Her the story of twin brothers Bridge and Julian separated as their parents got divorced. Julian has become the emotionless and single minded machine who cares for their rich business and their arrogant and ruthless father’s approval only. Whereas Bridge has become the man his mother made him. Working hard, moral values , respect for woman and hatred for his father’s money. By a cruel turn of fate, Julian is in an almost fatal accident. And Bridge has to take his place to save their legacy. He finds himself getting helplessly sucked into the vortex of lies, deception and corporate power plays. And the biggest complication is Julian’s fiance Isobel. The woman who was ignored and cheated and abused by Julian into a shell of her beautiful soul. And Bridge is drawn to her light like a moth to the flame. Izzy is also surprised by the changes in “Julian”. Her heart wants to convince her the old college Julian is back but she knows she is falling for a stranger. And so starts the enticing, enthralling and twisted story of love, passion, trust, power, deceit and chaos.
I wish I could choose between Julian and Bridge. Bridge is the swoonworthy, bossy but protective brother who fearlessly tackle all the manipulating game of his father. My heart and panty melted by the way he brought Izzy’s shattered and broken soul back to life. But as the story progresses and reveals secrets, Julian does not come across as dark as it seems. Izzy, I feel your pain. Rachel Van Dyken expertly explored Izzy’s doubt and confusion and inner battles. Falling for another person while thinking it is her lover’s better person is mindfuck to highest degree. The mind games of corporate world run parallel with games of heart. The slpw burn between Izzy and Bridge is pure torture. The smouldering hot passion explodes spectaculary. And the angst. Oh the heartbreaking , soul shattering, making-me-cry angst. The ending broke me for good but that was perfect. I am not sure I was overwhelmed with happiness or sadness.
Rachel Van Dyken has woven an intricate web of fantastic characters, amazing story lines and intense emotions in Stealing Her. This story stole my heart for sure!
Received ARC for Honest review
I loved this story. It was a bit of a different style than other books by Rachel, but it was equally as good.
Pretending to be your twin can be fun when you are playing tricks on others. Being forced to pretend to be your twin when you haven’t seen or spoken to them in a decade is a whole other story. Add in a love story and that is the basis of this book. It has a great plot twist that you expect to happen but never know when it will, so it keeps you on your toes.
Looking forward to the second book in this duet.
What would you for family? This story dives into the depths of what one man would do for his family, even when some of that family is estranged. Rachel Van Dyken has woven a web in these pages that are hard to believe but so believable at the same time, with enough money to throw around and the right circumstances in place. This book has characters to love, characters to hate and characters that you can’t seem to figure out. I cannot wait to read more in the next book, it can’t come soon enough!
If you haven’t read anything by Rachel Van Dyken yet,this is a great book to start with, you will love how she develops her characters.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book.
4.5 stars
I loved this book. It made me think of one of my favorite quotes “Peter once asked me when I fell in love with Jack. And I told him, “It was while you were sleeping”.”
Identical twins separated in a divorce.Bridge vowed to still be there for Julian only he couldn’t be and they grew further and further apart. Until Julian was in an accident and their dad wants Bridge to pretend to be Julian until he comes out of his comma.
Isobel has had it with Julian. She is ready to leave him and then he gets into a car accident. His family is keeping her in the dark as to what is going on until Julian staggers in one night. Since his accident he is acting like a totally different person and now Izzy is more confused.
Bridge is falling in love with Izzy while playing Julian. So what happens? You definitely want to one click this.
Omg this book… I’ve literally never read anything like it before! I want to start off by saying that I was so skeptical from reading the synopsis. I had it in my head that Julian and Izzy were happy and in love and then his brother came along and was basically a home wrecker. THAT IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL! I don’t consider this a spoiler because right from the get go Izzy is calling off the engagement anyway and as the story unfolds you learn about a ton of other issues they were having, but you’ll have to read the book to get the full scoop on that! So, from that moment it all made more sense to me and I was captivated!!! Bridge is literally the sweetest most caring and genuine guy! The world needs more men like him, for real. I love how his whole mission is to do right by his brother but also heal the heart that, that same brother has broken.
And lets talk about their super shady father for a minute.. what an asshole! It’s crazy what money and power can do to a person. Will he get whats coming to him?
Stealing Her ends on a half cliffhanger id say. Bridge and Izzy’s story comes full circle and they do get a HEA but theres more in the works where the company and their family is concerned. Plus were obviously all wanting to know whats going to become of Julian who just got his entire world upended! Its the perfect mix of closure but also leaves you wanting more. I absolutely cannot wait until February when well get to read Julians story!!!
Way to go RVD, another amazing book that I will surely never forget!! You kill it every time!!
5 stars plus
Epic!!!
Stealing Her was an epic, riveting, heart in my throat book that I couldn’t put it down!
This is the authors best book to date! Absolutely hooked from start to finish and I couldn’t get over the way the storyline went. I had to calm down as I finished reading!
Well written and captivating! I don’t know what more to say! It has to be read to understand for yourself!
If you love angst, romance, steamy moments and characters that will make your heart beat fast then this is for you!!!
This book has so much going for it so do yourself a favour and grab it! You will not regret it all all
Twin Julian and Bridge were as close as they could possibly be with Bridge looking out for his “younger” brother as best he could. When his parents get divorced and his obnoxious father splits the twins and sends Bridge and his mom out with nothing, the twins lose each other. After years of being apart, Bridge must step into the role of Julian when Julian is in an accident that leaves him in a coma and threatens an important merger.
Normally, I’m not a fan of switch twin stories, it is rarely pulled off well and while twins can be identical, anyone that is around them for any length of time can tell the differences immediately. I was curious to see what Van Dyken would be able to do with this type of story so I grabbed it. After reading, I have mixed feelings because while she did in some ways, in others she didn’t.
The ways in which Stealing Her works is that Isobel, Julian’s fiance’s part was well done. Isobel, while with Julian, hadn’t seen him much in the months prior to his accident and was, in fact, leaving him plus she was not allowed to see Julian at all at the hospital following the accident. This allows for Isobel to be reasonably fooled for a bit. Van Dyken took Bridge on the route of “the accident changed me/opened my eyes” which makes for believable reading for a good while as well. The interaction between Bridge and Isobel stays real as Bridge falls for Isobel yet berates himself for it and Isobel notices differences along the way but cannot conceive the depth of deviousness that her soon-to-be father-in-law enacts to make heads or tails for what she is seeing.
Where the story goes off the rails for me is after Bridge and Isobel become intimate. There are body changes (Bridge is a personal trainer versus Julian’s businessman) and tattoos that were not there before that are not as easily explained nor, for me, believable. Also, the situation with the father and the company felt off and not consistent with how the father is portrayed throughout the story. This where too much is different making me cringe until Isobel finds out the truth. The inevitable conflict between twins ramps up the emotional factor of the story both between the brothers and Isobel making for a satisfying ending.
Overall, this is a good read as long as you suspend a bit of reality and just accept the story.
When they were young Bridge promised his twin brother Julian that he would always take care of him and keep him safe. But after a disastrous divorce their family was ripped apart and Julian and their father walked away, and Bridge was left to care for their ailing mother. Through the last decade the boys have had very little contact, mainly because of their controlling father, but they are about to be reunited.
When Julian is involved in a tragic accident, their father shows up on Bridge’s doorstep armed with deal that he knows Bridge won’t be able to refuse. Bridge knows this deal will come with a lot of complications and hoops to jump through… but nothing could prepare him for the moment he meets his brothers, and now his, fiancee Isobel. One look at her and he knows he is in deep trouble…
Stealing Her is a tragic and heart-wrenching tale that will reek havoc on your heart and emotions. This one really did a number on me, the words had my emotions all over the place, and the romance brewing between Bridge and Izzy had me dying in anticipation. I knew Bridge and Izzy were perfect for one another, but with the impending return of Julian I had to wander if he would wind up winning her back…their constant dance around one another darn near killed me! I absolutely loved every single second of this one, the instant my eyes landed on the first page I was addicted, I just couldn’t pry my eyes away.. so much drama to sort out!! I cannot wait for Julian’s story, I had a hard time connecting with him, I am hoping he changes my mind about him and redeems himself! Highly recommend, you get your hands on this one, it will grab you from the first page and hold you hostage until the last… it’s so good!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**
Stealing Her is a book that has a little bit of everything – drama, angst, heartbreak, healing and sexiness as well – all things that Rachel Van Dyken does a fabulous job of incorporating into all of her books.
Bridge has always wanted to take care of those around him. When he was younger, it was his brother and for the last decade he’s done everything he could to care for his ailing mother. When his father blew their family apart, everything that Bridge had known changed and the grudge that he held against his father was gigantic. When Julian, Bridge’s twin, is in a devastating car accident that leaves him fighting for survival, their father shows up with an offer that Bridge simply can’t refuse.
While stepping into Julian’s life should have been fairly easily considering how close they used to be, the one thing Bridge didn’t count on was Julian’s fiancee, Isobel. She’s beautiful, captivating and clearly ticked off at his brother. Will he be able to keep his distance, both physically and emotionally, while pretending to be his brother? And, will everything that Bridge thought about Julian be blown apart when he realizes what his brother was really dealing with in terms of their father and his expectations?
I was drawn into this story from the very first word. I didn’t want to put it down because I just wanted to know what was going to happen! While this was not a conventional way for Bridge and Isobel to meet, it was undeniable the connection they had and I really wanted to see them together in the end. While they had hurdles to overcome, Van Dyken did a great job maneuvering all of those, making it even more intriguing.
I loved this book and I can’t wait for the next one in this series!
I have always been fascinated by twins, so when I read the blurb for Stealing Her, I had to read it. Bridge and Julien are identical twins that are born into a wealthy family. They are inseparable as kids, but when they’re parents divorce they are forced into separation. Several years go by before their paths cross again. Bridge has grown into a nice, respectful man. Julien has grown in to a privileged jerk. Isabel is Juliens fiancé. She’s ready to leave their awful relationship when Bridge takes his brothers place. But Bridge pretending to be Julien, makes her second guess leaving.
This book was really good. I liked all aspects of it and highly recommend it. I can’t wait to see what is next in the series.
Twists, turns, drama, betrayal, deceit, angst and so much more. Stealing Her sucked me in and I enjoyed every single minute of this story.
I loved Bridge. I felt for him and his mom. You could feel the love he had for her and that he was willing to do anything for her, even if that means pretending to be his twin brother and being close to his father. Isobel was hard to connect with throughout a majority of the story. I wanted her to stick up for herself, I wanted her to fight for herself. Really, I was just yelling at my kindle a lot. I am glad she kind of came out of her shell a little bit towards the end of the story. Julian, well its hard to talk about him. He comes across as the bad guy in this story, but also not. There were reasons behind why he did what he did. A part of me likes Julian and wants to root for him, because he does deserve more, but a part of me also wants to hate him.
Bridge and Isobel had chemistry. He gave her the freedom to be herself, to not have to fall in line with the picture-perfect life Tennyson woman should live. He mended her once broken heart and gave her the happiness she thought she lost.
Stealing Her is an enjoyable, drama filled romance full of lies, deceit and betrayal.
This book was EVERYTHING. It was the kind of story that I remember Rachel putting out when I first became a fan of hers. But FAIR WARNING, this book can also be a bit triggering to people who have been where Izzy is.
Isobel has been in love with Julian since college, or maybe it was high school, I can’t quite remember. Most of her “Good” memories of him are from college so we’ll just with that as it really doesn’t make a difference either way. When they first got together, he was everything. They had hopes and dreams of their own, they were building a life together. And then his father stepped in, forced him to fall in line, and then suddenly the love of her life became a lying, manipulating man who was emotionally abusive towards his fiance. He made her call and schedule an appointment for his time during business hours for crying out loud. And when she finally makes the choice to leave? He is nearly killed in a car accident.
Bridge has been the forgotten son. The outcast. Ever since his parents divorced and he was sent to live with his mother, he has held onto nothing but hatred and loathing for his father and twin. He’s had to work two, sometimes three jobs not only to make ends meet, but to care for his mother’s medical bills. So when his father shows up, promising more money than he could ever hope to make if he could just convince the world that he’s really his twin brother, how could he resist?
So okay, yes you do have to be prepared to suspend reality for a bit here when it comes to people (especially people like Isobel) being so easily fooled by the “brother switch”. You also have to be prepared to watch as instead of sticking to her guns and leaving him (and thereby forcing him to come to her), she stays and helps him. And honestly? While I know its going to piss people off, I can understand her reasoning completely. I can also understand how she KNEW there was something wrong, something off, even before she knew the truth, but how she was so willing to pretend that it was really her fiance come back to the man he used to be.
I think the hardest, and most enjoyable part of this book was watching these two as they got closer. Bridge knew he couldn’t keep her, but did his best to fix the damage his brother had done anyway. He did what he could to restore her self-worth, to build her back up, to make her feel beautiful. And he asked for nothing in return. I kept wondering how this was going to play out. Would she ever confront him about the truth? Would Julian wake up from his coma? And just what was their father’s end game in all of this?
It was easy to get caught up hating Edward (the father) just as much as his son did. I could say there was enough intrigue once Bridge starting putting pieces together that it made this story hard to put down. But what really did that for me? Was the fact that I could relate to Isobel on a deeper level than I am comfortable admitting.
At one point Isobel is talking about when she went to the hospital after the accident that put her fiance in a coma and she says, “I felt so damn relieved that it was over. That I was done walking on eggshells, done being hurt by a man who said he loved me”.
To which after some time, Bridge replies with “Your heart was bruised, you were in pain. All you wanted was relief”.
And I felt that. I think others will too. The fact that they were twins notwithstanding. The fact that at first she was being deceived taken out of the equation, it takes a strong woman to be as beautifully broken as she was, to allow someone to tear down the walls she has built around herself.
This book was more than a story. It was a journey. And I can’t wait to see what happens next.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Thank you Rachel for another great book!! I literally sat and read most of this book in one day. I had to know what was going to happen and couldn’t put it down. It did help that I actually had a day to sit and read. ;).
It is so true that your life can take a turn in a blink of an eye. That is what happened to Bridge/Julian & Isobel. But mostly to Bridge. Bridge and Julian are identical twins. Best friends to one another. Bridge always protecting Julian and Julian always talking Bridges stuff. Until one day, they’re not.
Bridge and Julian are completely different in their adult life than when they were younger. But due to circumstances, one of them has to become the other. And Isobel is in the middle of it all. Not sure what to believe and how her life had turned out the way it had? But she is strong and persevere’s.
This book grabs you right from the beginning and will hold your interest all the way to the end. It is full of surprises, emotions and what the … moments. Rachel has a way to bring you in the story so that you’re right there all side of the character’s. You feel their pain and happiness. I love that about her writing! This is the first book in the covet series. I can’t wait for book two. You will not be disappointed in this book. A must read for sure!!!
A good read with lots of angst, romance, family conflict, and finally love and acceptance. The story will grab you from the beginning and carry you all the way through the heights of emotion and conflict clear to the end when it all comes together to give the reader the happy ever after they want the main characters to have.
Deliciously intriguing and captivating. Bridge and Julian are best friends and twins living with a father that makes life unbearable. When their mother finally makes the decision to divorce Emerson, the boys are split apart leaving Julian with their dad and Bridge no longer being able to protect him. As Julian is on the verge of becoming CEO of their dad’s company, the unthinkable happens and he ends up in a coma. Emerson, aka Dad, suddenly needs Bridge, the son he hasn’t spoken to in years, to step in a pretend to be Julian to protect the success of the company. Bridge hates his father but needs to take care of his mother whose health is failing. Being the protector that he is, Bridge makes a deal with the devil. What he never expects is to be completely enthralled with Julian’s fiancé, Isobel. Isobel finds herself in the Tennyson prison but has finally had enough. When she met Julian in college, their connection was electric. Now, Julian is a workaholic that is cheating on her. After the accident, she is shocked to experience the Julian she first met in college and loves the direction their relationship is now going. I love Bridge and how hard he tries to find the balance in this crazy situation. His devotion to his mom is his driving force but he finds himself in situations he never anticipated. Is there any way he can avoid falling for Isobel? What if Julian wakes up, what happens then? This story grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go until the end. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.
“… outward beauty doesn’t keep a family together, doesn’t keep all the cracks and breaks at bay.”
This book had my feelings all over the board. One minute I was cheering them on and the next planning their funeral. I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to turn out. I was kept at the edge of my seat until the end. So many emotions sprinkled throughout… greed, pride, selfishness, jealousy, secrets, love and revenge.
“It was strange watching someone you love slowly lose pieces of himself until there’s nothing left.”
If you’ve ever been in a toxic relationship wondering why someone acts the way they do you can relate to many aspects of this book. If you haven’t you may sit back and say “I’d never allow someone to treat me that way..or I’d leave if they ever…” Until you’ve walked the walk you don’t really know what you’d do.
“The first time I walked through those doors years ago it felt like I held the keys to a new kingdom. I didn’t realize then that the kingdom was actually a dungeon and some things are covered in gold to distract from what’s underneath.”